These deliciously decadent chocolate-flavored balls have been a family favorite for decades. Whip them up this holiday season for the ones you love.

Food Safety Note
These rum balls have been modified from the version my mom made when I was younger. The original version calls for a raw egg (the batter isn’t cooked). To make these rum balls kid-friendly and adhere to prevent salmonella, I use a pasteurized whole egg and swapped in rum extract for the real stuff. This means the egg was heat treated to kill pathogens, though it looks like any other raw egg. Many markets carry them—look for the word “pasteurized” on the label.

Directions
In a large bowl, combine butter, egg, breadcrumbs, orange juice, raisins, pecans, oat bran, cocoa powder, sugar and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. Cover and place in refrigerator for 2 hours until slightly hardened.

Remove dough from refrigerator. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the dough into wet hands and roll into a ball. Roll in optional toppings if desired and place in mini cupcake tins. Repeat with remainder of dough. Store rum balls in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.